From the Stovetop

Shepard's Pie

2009-05-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

We made leg of lamb using this recipe (you MUST make this, it's wonderful!!) for my parent's last meal here. It was over 5 pounds, so there were plenty of leftovers. Leftover lamb just isn't good, it's gamey, chewy and, well, just not good. Trust me here. We also had asperagus and mashed potatoes. So, what do you do with leftover asperagus, lamb and mashed potatoes???

It's screaming Shepard's Pie!

I started off by taking the juice (jus?) from the roast and bringing it to boil in a sauté pan.
Warning: the following pictures may not be pretty, but the end result is tasty!

Scoop out a couple ladles full of broth into a container (I used a measuring cup, but you could use anything). Spoon in a couple tablespoons of flour. Mix very well, till there are no chunks whatsoever. Use a fork or whisk to mix. If you don't get the lumps out now, you will have lumpy gravy!

Pour flour mixture back into boiling broth, whisking constantly. Whisk until smooth and thickened.

Like I said, it's not pretty. Be sure to taste your gravy for seasonings. Add salt and pepper if needed.

Dump meat and veggies into an oven-proof container, the amount is to your liking. You could use a regular baking dish, but I'm always looking for ways to use this pretty dish. Mix in the gravy.

Layer the top with the mashed potatoes. I used my hands to get it all over the top. Of course I don't have a shot of what it looked like after all the potatoes on the top, but you can use your imagination, I'm sure.

Bake, uncovered, at 400 or 425 for about 30 minutes.

Again, not pretty, but so, so tasty!! If you use the crockpot lamb and use plenty of seasonings like Stephanie says, you're golden.

Apple Crisp

2009-05-29T06:37:00.000-07:00

Early into our first summer in Korea, we received a flat of peaches from our company. These things were huge, hard and very unripe. I let them ripen forever, it seemed, but they were still hard as a rock and not very sweet. I finally realized there would be no fresh peaches and ice cream for us, so I made peach crisp. I made it again later in the year using apples, which is what I used for this particular recipe. Both are great!

This recipe is hardly baking, as there's no actual pastry so measurements don't need to be exact. It would be perfect for your kid-cook!

For an 8" pan, start with 3 apples (or peaches, if you prefer), peel, core and slice these babies as thin as you can make them. You could use more than 3 if you prefer more fruit, but I prefer more crisp, so I make my fruit layer fairly thin.
Don't tell my tummy.

I sliced them right into the pan.

Measure 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, pinch of salt, and 3/4 tsp. cinnamon into bowl (pretend there's cinnamon in this picture). Slice butter directly into bowl.

You could use a pastry blender, or the two-knife trick, but those take so much more time and it just annoys me. I just stick my fingers right in there and start pinching the ingredients together till it looks like fine sand (that's not really the word I want, but I can't think of what it really looks like).

Please forgive the picture quality.
Pour the flour mixture evenly over the sliced apples. It's going to look like too much, but believe me, you want it all!

Pop it in the oven at 350 degrees (or whatever your supper is cooking at, it doesn't really matter, mine happened to be closer to 400 degrees), and bake about 30-40 minutes until the top is slightly golden.

You can serve this with ice cream or Cool Whip (yuck), OR.....

Hello!
Homemade whipped cream--yum!!
Whip 1 cup heavy cream till peaked, mix in 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla and whip till peaks form.
Your family will thank you.
Even if your tummy doesn't. Just don't tell your tummy!

Dish it up!

What you need

3 peaches or apples, peeled, cored and sliced as thin as you can make them
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
5-6 Tbs butter, chilled (use more or less depending on your preference)

Place sliced apples/peaches in 8" round baking dish. In bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Slice butter into small chunks. Mix well. Pour over fruit. Bake 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes till light golden.

Chamchi Kim bap (Korean tuna rolls)

2009-04-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

One of the only foods I was confident enough to order by myself in Korea as chamchi kim bap (that's a hard ch, sort of rhyming with chomp). I could walk into any kim bap restaurant and order this with a relatively straight face and walk out knowing what I was carrying. Adam even made me do this a couple of times while he waited outside. (He knows what sissy I am when it comes to even ordering a pizza over the phone here in the States!)

This is really easy to make, tastes amazing and the only thing you'll have to go out and buy specially is the sushi paper. (Here after called kim paper, as that's what we called it in Korea. It's made from roasted seaweed and isn't very strong tasting.) A rice cooker is extremely nice to have, but it's not a necessity (although I want to get one very badly!) A sushi mat is also nice, but, again, not necessary.

One more note worth mentioning: this is not traditional kim bap. You won't find kim bap with pickles in it. Instead you'll get a pickled radish. I prefer actual pickles, and I couldn't find pickled radishes anyway. Also, a traditional kim bap will have a few more ingredients I can't get here. For a more detailed and traditional recipe, click here. Her pictures are wonderful and she's got a ton more recipes that look amazing!

I made 2 rolls today. If you make the amount of food I prepared, you'll have leftovers.

What you need

Carrots, julliened (about the length of your kim paper)
Pickles, quartered length-wise (these are mini's)
Tuna (buy the better quality stuff. In Korea we used tuna packed in olive oil. Man, it was good! But I couldn't find it here. Such a bummer. Ironic, actually.)

1 or 2 eggs, fried (1 egg for 2 rolls, 2 eggs for 4)

1-2 Tbs. Mayo (mixed in with tuna in bowl)

Cut up your egg into skinny strips.

Kim paper (a.k.a. sushi paper).
Lay it out on your mat, or just on a clean surface if you don't have a mat.

1 1/2 cups cooked sushi rice, per roll (Korean rice is the best, in my opinion, but Vail is not the place to find it. Korean rice is stickier, but sushi rice makes do just fine here. )
Flatten it out onto your kim paper. I didn't use enough here, I haven't made this in about 2 years. It turned out fine, just the ends weren't stuffed enough. So, in yours, press the rice all the way to the edge. That look on Owen's face is only concern that there won't be enough. He loves kim bap!

Lay your strips of veggies on the rice. Don't use more than 2 strips each. It doesn't take much to fill up a roll.

Put about 1/4 cup tuna onto veggies. It may not even take that much. Just experiment with what looks right.

Roll it up! I wasn't talented enough to take a picture of me rolling. But here it is.

Using a very sharp knife, slice into 6-8 pieces. Wipe your knife clean with a damp cloth in between cuts. Remember, sushi is meant to be stuffed into your mouth all in one bite--kim bap is the same way. So, make your slices accordingly.

Find some hungry kids willing to experiment and SERVE!
It's delicious dipped in soy sauce mixed in with some wasabi.

Mostaccioli Bake

2009-04-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from the vault. The vault that was my crammed recipe box. I packed my recipe box up when we moved overseas and hadn't seen this since 2005. I love this dish, had forgotten how much I loved this dish. I prepared this dish for last nights' dinner and loved it all over again!

I haven't done the math on it exactly, but it ends up being a fairly inexpensive meal as well. Like, under $5. I'll bet you have almost everything in your kitchen to prepare this tonight. So make it! Oh, and I made the whole 9x13 dish thinking I'd have half left over for another night. Not so. The crew devoured this and we only had enough left for Adam to take for lunch today.

What you need
3 cups uncooked mostaccioli (this is about half a 1 pound package)
3-4 Tbs butter, plus 2 more Tbs.
1 cup chopped onion (As usual, I used onion powder. We have onion issues at our house.)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 milk
1 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, plus 2 more Tbs
1 tsp dried Italian dressing mix (the kind you get in the packets)
salt and pepper to taste
1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed
1/4 cup bread crumbs, whichever variety you have on hand

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Go ahead and grate your cheese, measure out your ingredients, get the spinach thawed and squeezed in your colander.* Grease a 9x13 dish. You can also make the bread crumb topping (found at the end of this recipe). This all makes this dish come together with little hassle and little clean-up.

*side note: you can also squeeze the spinach out really well in a towel, but this will cause you to have a majorly green towel. Do what's best for you.

Cook your pasta according to directions, usually about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt 3-4 Tbs butter in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook about 5 minutes, but don't let your garlic get all brown. Add the flour and whisk constantly for about 1 minute. Slowly add in the milk, whisking the whole time to incorporate your roux. Cook about 4-5 minutes till just bubbling. Remove from heat, stir in 1/4 cup cheese, the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper (go easy on the salt, as there's plenty in the cheese, but it still needs some). Combine the pasta, tomatoes, the cheese sauce, the rest of the cheese (about 1 cup). Stir well. Spoon mixture into your 9x13 dish.

In small bowl, melt 2 Tbs butter. Stir in 2 Tbs Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Sprinkle over pasta. Bake about 30 minutes.

Serve with a glass of wine and some fresh bread. All your food groups are in there, so you can take or leave a salad!

Poppy seed Chicken

2009-03-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

A sure-fire kid-pleaser. I make this every time my husband's out of town or won't be here for dinner. Ok, not every time, but quite often. Adam happens to hate this dish. Go figure. I happen to like it. The kids happen to love it. So much so that I can count on seconds all around. It's from my sis-in-law. Thanks, Sis!

What you need
4-6 chicken breasts or other pieces (I like some dark meat in there), I've also used a rotisserie chicken before
1 can cream of something soup (**if you'd like a homemade version that has to be healthier, I'll post that at the end)
12 oz. cottage cheese
1 tube Ritz crackers, crushed to smithereens
1 stick butter, melted
poppy seeds

Cook chicken and cut up into bite sized pieces.

In a pan, mix the cream of something soup and the cottage cheese till it bubbles a bit. Toss in your chicken. Mix well. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 dish. Cover top with cracker crumbs, pour melted butter over top and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Dinner!

Oh, and I never claimed it to be a health-fest.

Cream of something alternative:
3 Tbs flour
3 Tbs butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

Melt butter in pan, whisk in flour and stir constantly for about 1 minute. Add milk and broth. Stir till thickened. Add seasonings.

Bird Nests

2009-03-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

This comes from my sister-in-law, who adapted it from a Susan Branch Cookbook. I've done some adapting myself. It is fun and easy to make. Every time I make it, I think "What a great company dish! It tastes so good and it's fun to eat with your hands." And then we eat with our hands, and I realize all over again why we've never had people over with this dish. Be forewarned: It's messy!! But, yummy.

What you need

1 head lettuce, any kind works but I like Romaine or Red Leaf

for the dipping sauce:
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 dash hot sauce

for the main dish:
1 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey (I have also used beef and chicken before, all are good)
1 cup red pepper, finely chopped (this is usually too expensive for me, so I use tomato and add it at the end)
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
2 1/2 Tbs fresh ginger, minced or grated/micro-planed
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. lime juice (this is equivalent to squeezing 1 lime)
4 green onions, sliced thin
handful salted peanuts, chopped, as garnish at the table

Separate and wash your lettuce. I lay it out on a platter to put on the table.

Combine your dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl. You can pour it into little individual bowls to serve at each place, if you wish.

Heat olive oil in skillet, add turkey, red pepper (if your using it), and salt and pepper. Cook till no longer pink, breaking up chunks as it cooks. Add ginger, soy and lime juice and cook for another minute. Just before serving, toss in the green onions. (Here is where I would also add the tomatoes.)

To eat: Grab a piece of lettuce, we often tear them in half, spoon in some meat mixture, drizzle on the dipping sauce (can you drizzle dipping sauce?), sprinkle on some peanuts and stuff it in your mouth!

Last time, I served this with fried rice, and we all ended up topping the meat with the rice in the lettuce leaf. It was wonderful!

Grill Shrimp--2 ways; Revisited with a picture!

2009-03-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

My mom has this great recipe for grilled shrimp, but I didn't have it written down anywhere. When I called her (2 hours before dinner time), she wasn't there, so I had to improvise in order to give the little crustaceans enough marinatin' time. I love what I came up with! So, that's what I'll give you here first. (Scroll down for my mom's recipe.)

Kickin' Lime Shrimp

What you need

1 to 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, de-shelled, de-veined, tails on
1-2 limes (depending on how much you like the taste)--squeeze juice out and throw in the lime "shells" too
about 1 Tbs Essence*
salt and pepper
about 2 Tbs soy sauce

Mix all ingredients together and marinate covered, in fridge for about 2 hours. Grill or broil (this is what I did because I don't have a grill) for about 4-5 minutes max. If you decide to grill, you can soak some bamboo skewers for 30 minutes, then thread the shrimp on. It makes it easier to turn. If you broil, no need to turn!
*Essence (Creole spice mixture): You can make your own! Click here.

Shrimp Spice Rub

This is my mom's recipe. It's great tasting and good if you forgot to marinate your shrimp before dinner!

What you need
1 to 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, de-shelled, de-veined, tails on
3 Tbs Old Bay seasoning
3 Tbs brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, smashed

Mix Old Bay, sugar, garlic and onion powder, and cumin together in small bowl. Heat oil in skillet and put in garlic clove. Let heat over warm for a bit. Take off heat. Brush shrimp with oil mixture. Sprinkle on spice rub. If grilling, thread onto bamboo skewers (that have been soaked for 30 minutes). Grill or broil for 4-5 minutes.

Homemade Bread--Perfection, even at High Altitude!

2009-02-25T08:23:00.001-08:00

My mom made bread at home for years. I used to beg for store-bought bread, I just didn't appreciate the goodness of homemade bread. I think Mom did start buying bread when she started working. Then she discovered sourdough bread starter and started the whole bread-making process over again. I loved it then! Especially hot from the oven. She used to make it in the evenings and would call me and my best friend and roommate, Kim, and we would race across town to devour a loaf of freshly baked bread. Yes, I'm embarrassed to say a loaf. That "Freshman 15" was very apropos in my case.

My sister-in-law gave me this recipe for bread. It doesn't require a starter, can be thrown all together in a bread machine, made into a loaf in the machine, or taken out and put in a different pan. It took me a few tries here at this altitude to get it right again, but I think I have it now! The amounts given below make one loaf, but I usually double it (and the pictures will show it doubled). High altitude changes can be seen in orange, the varying amounts are because it needs to be increased as you rise in altitude. I live at 8,000+, just to give you an idea of how much I need to increase.

What you need
2 cups flour (I use 1 1/2 cup white + 1/2 cup wheat) add about 2-3 Tbs flour
1 egg + enough water to equal 3/4 cup add about 1-2 Tbs. extra water
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbs. butter (doesn't need to be softened)
1 tsp. yeast.

Throw all the ingredients in your bread machine (or you could probably use a heavy duty stand mixer, I just never have, and you would need to let it rise and stuff. I'm really not sure.) and turn on the dough cycle. At the end of the cycle (mine takes 1 1/2 hours), it will look like this:
Flour a board and start kneading out the dough. Flatten with the palm of your hand till bubbles are gone and it looks roughly rectangle/square.
Like this.
Start by folding one side in, then the other.
Start at the small end and roll tightly, squeezing out bubbles as you go along.
Fold in the ends and plop in a greased pan.
Cover with towel and gently put in a warm place. The only warm place I have in my house is my oven, and that's if I preheat it to warm and then turn it off. Don't let your kids do the dinosaur dance in your kitchen. It will cause your dough to fall flat, and that's just sad. Let it rise till doubled, roughly. This usually takes about an hour to 1 1/2 hours at my house. In a really warm environment, though, it doesn't take as long, just watch it.
Here are my risen loaves. I brushed these with an egg yolk wash then sprinkled with poppy seeds.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (400 degrees). Bake for 15-20 minutes (30-40 minutes). The bottom of your bread will sound like a drum if you tap it. That's very unscientific, I know, but that's how I test mine. You can pop them out immediately after you taken them out of the oven and test them. If they're not quite done, just put them back in the oven for a few more minutes.
For these loaves, I brushed melted butter on top and sprinkled with kosher salt before I put them in the oven.

Slice and enjoy! It's especially yummy with honey butter. The bread freezes well, also.

Chocolate Cake

2009-02-18T12:49:00.000-08:00

This is a take off Portillo's chocolate cake recipe. If you are ever in the Chicago area you must go to Portillo's. They're famous for Chicago style hotdogs, but their chocolate cake is absolutely divine. Yes, divine. This recipe, while not quite an exact replica, it comes darn close. And the only difference is maybe that I had to do the dishes myself. I swear that changes flavors for me.

This being a baking recipe, if you're in a high altitude area, you'll want to take note of the ingredients and directions in orange. If you're at sea level, skip those parts.

What you need
1 chocolate cake mix (I used Betty Crocker, it's the only brand I can use at this high altitude)
1/4 cup flour
3 lg eggs
1 cup water (+2 Tbs. water)
1 cup Hellman's Mayo (This is a weird one, I am completely aware of that. Please just think of this substituting for the oil in other cakes. Don't get weirded out, ok? I also usually use generic brands for almost everything, but I stuck with Hellman's here. The website specifically called for it. I didn't want to take the chance of messing up my cake. )

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (375 degrees). Grease 2 round cake pans. Beat all the ingredients together for 4 minutes. Pour into pans. Bake for 30 minutes (40 minutes) until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes then pop out of pan. Cool completely. Frost with your choice of either canned frosting, or use a chocolate butter cream frosting. (I found mine in my Betty Crocker cookbook. It's the best.)

Vietnamese Sour Soup

2009-02-11T12:42:00.001-08:00

Holy Guacamole, Bat Man! Did I take a lot of pictures this time, or what?!

Our friend, Vinh, was here this past weekend. Last time he was here, we made Vietnamese Spring Rolls. And I took pictures. Lots. But I think I outdid myself this time. Adam was even annoyed (hee hee). This time, it's sour soup. It's definitely a sweet and sour soup, though. There is a lot of prep, but the actual making of this soup is souper easy. We did our prep in the morning so all we had to do was boil water and throw it all in. The amounts below made enough for a small army, so if you decide to try this at your home, I would most definitely half all the amounts, except for the shrimp and fish. Keep those the same. Otherwise, you'll be eating this every day for the next two weeks. I'm just not kidding about this one.

Let's get down to business!

What you need and what to do

Bring 10-15 cups water to boil in a very large pot. I don't have a picture of this one. Imagine me boiling water. It's not hard. Although the altitude does challenge one's patience in the area of boiling time.

Also, prepare several cups of Jasmine rice. We made about 8 cups.

6 medium Malanga (I really wanted a link to this vegetable, but looked high and low for it. No go. I found something that resembled a potato, but this is most definitely not a potato. It's most like celery, and Vinh says you can use celery in it's place. That's what it sort of tasted like, anyway.) If you do go to an Asian food store and find these babies, peel the outer layer using your fingers. It's sort of like if you peeled the entire outside surface of a stalk of celery. The peel is very stringy and tough. Get it all off. Also, cut off any brown you might find.

Look! This one's pregnant!

I was sous chef Sunday evening, and Emma was sous' sous chef. Isn't she cute?
Chop up the Malanga into bite size pieces. You can slice, then half if it's too big.

4 ripe tomatoes. Cut these into wedges.

One or two onions, peeled, halved and sliced.

3 cups fresh okra, stems removed and halved, if large.

One large, or two small pineapple, peeled (is that the word?), cored and chopped into bite-size pieces. Did you know you can suck on the core of the pineapple and get really good flavor and juice as a fun snack? Don't let it go to waste.
See, now you're learning two new things today. Aren't you the lucky one?

Here's the Malanga and okra cut up, sitting in bowls. Waiting.
I'm not sure why I have this picture, but I do.
And I'm not going to waste it.

Next, you need 2 packages of Tamarind Soup base mix. Clearly, you're going to need a trip to the Asian food store for this recipe. I don't know what you'd use in place, but there's a chance your local market might have this, so just go see. I personally haven't checked.
This is a very distinct flavor. It's the sour part of the soup. Very good, mild, not pucker-your-lips tart, just subtle.

Pour the two packages into about 15 cups of boiling water. You're going to need the large pot for this recipe. Did I mention that?

Rinse 6-8 cups bean sprouts in cool water. You want to get off any dirt that might be clinging to them.
I love bean sprouts. Try just dipping raw sprouts in hoisin sauce. Mmmm. I love hoisin sauce.

Clean and chop a big handful of fresh Thai basil.
The basil we had was super sandy, so wash this very well. There's nothing worse than biting down on a nice grain of sand.
Place chopped basil in a small serving bowl. It's a garnish for the soup.

Rinse 1 1/2 pounds fresh shrimp, shells on. These are tiger shrimp. Aren't the beautiful? Really, even raw, beautiful.

Throw these in a smaller separate pot with boiling water. Cook until they're this bright orange/pink color. Even prettier!
Did you know leaving the shell on decreases the amount of shrinkage when cooked? I did not know that. Now I do.
(We've all seen the Seinfeld shrinkage episode, right? No need to say more.)

Rinse the cooked shrimp under cold water to stop the cooking process and to cool them down.

Time to shell 'em!
(Side note: Notice my raised left index finger? Yeah, I almost chopped off the tip last week. Nice.)

Now, you need 1 1/2 pounds fresh catfish, about 3 fillets. Usually, Vinh uses bone-in because it tends to hold up better when cooked, but he could only find boneless here. It worked fine.
Rinse this well under cold water before cooking.

Remember that humongo pot of boiling tamarind soup broth you've got going on the stove top? Carefully lower your catfish into it and cook until tender. Remove from pot and place on serving dish.

This is what it will look like when done. I realize it's not really very appetizing looking, but it's very tasty and tender. You're just going to have to trust me with this one. Until you try it at home.

After you've removed your catfish, toss the okra and onion into the soup broth. Let them cook for about 5-7 minutes. Maybe 10. I really can't remember this step. I must have been hustling a dog out of the kitchen at this point. The seafood smell was making her go crazy bonkers.

Next, add in the Malanga.
Then, add the tomatoes, pineapple and bean sprouts. You're really just going to flash-cook these, about 30 seconds, don't boil them to death. They should still be very fresh, just not cold still.

Using a large strainer, strain the broth into a separate bowl.
Now, you don't really need to do this step, but since most household don't have an extra-huge humongo soup pot, this is the next best thing.

The table spread. See how we placed the shrimp and fish together?
The basil is behind it.
The veggies are all in a bowl with the broth in the background.

Here's how you serve yourself:
First, place some rice in your bowl, about 1 to 1 1/2 cups
Next, spoon in some veggies.

Place however many shrimp and pieces of fish in your bowl.

Pour on some broth.

Sprinkle in some basil, give a squirt or two of both hot sauce and fish sauce (not pictured, oops!), and dish up!
Caution: the contents of your bowl will be extremely hot!

Soup for you!!!
(I know, again, with the Seinfeld.)

If anybody decides to venture into this dish, please let me know how it goes!
Whew! I don't know how the Pioneer Woman does it with all her pictures, recipes, photos and posts. I'm exhausted!

Thanks guys, and happy cooking!

Noodle Bowl a.k.a. Chicken grill and Peanut Noodles

2009-01-06T20:02:00.000-08:00

Cooking in Korea was a challenge. Sometimes in a really frustrating-I-can't-find-good-dairy-products! way, but sometimes in a really good way. Ways that stretched me to become a better, more creative cook.

There was a type of mushrooms that was everywhere in the Korea street markets and grocery stores. How I wish I had taken a picture of them! They were in huge clusters with brown thickish, chewy stems and caps. Very, very meaty, similar to a portabella. And cheap!

And I have no idea what they are called, if the even have an English equivalent. I've looked all over the web trying to find these little fungi, but anytime I think I've found it, that particular type of 'shroom comes up as "suspect" or "poisonous". Well, we're still here. And while we suffered numerous stomach upsets over there, those episodes could almost always be blamed on food handling practices, not poisonous fungi.

Life goes on, though, right?

These mystery mushrooms were often sautéed with a soy mixture in the pan. So, so amazing and yummy! While living there, I would make an easy chicken and vegetable grill/broil using this idea of the mushrooms and soy mixture. I cooked it a lot. At least twice a month. Even our Korean friends liked it, so I usually fixed it for our fellowship time too. I haven't cooked it since our time there, but tonight I pulled it from the files and made it again, only this time without the amazing mystery mushrooms. Sigh. I also fixed a noodle recipe based on Rachael Ray's Sesame Noodles (I can't seem to find it online, but it's in one of her cookbooks). I didn't want to spend money on Tahini, so I substituted peanut butter (which I already had), and served it hot, not cold. We combined the noodles and chicken grill in a bowl, but you can do what you like.

One big thing to remember, this is a major easy, fancy-looking meal! Serve it to friends some night!

Chicken Grill

What you need
soy sauce or Tamari, if you like a stronger flavor
honey
ginger root
chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces (I used thighs this time and regretted it. I'm a big dark meat fan, but not in this recipe. Go for the white meat here.)
any sort of veggies (zucchini, red, yellow or green peppers, mushrooms)

I realize there are no measurements, just use what looks right and will cover all your chicken and veggies in a bowl. So, mix the soy, honey and ground ginger root well in a bowl. (Ok, ok. It will be about a 1/4-1/2 cup each of soy and honey with maybe 1/2 inch of root. That's for all you people out there who need measurements. ......Who am I kidding? I'm one of you! High-five!)

Moving on.........

Let your chicken and veggies marinate for awhile, anywhere from a few hours to overnight. Or, you can do what I did and forget about it for 24 hours. That works too, apparently.

I live in the freezing cold, below freezing, actually, so we don't grill in the winter. I use my broiler as an alternative as I did in Korea and New York. Pour your chicken mixture onto a foil-lined baking sheet, place under broiler (about the 2nd rack down from the top) and cook about 7 minutes. Check it, give it a stir and return to broiler till chicken and veggies are nice and tender, but with a few pieces starting to get that nice char.

I love the char.

Peanut Noodles

What you need
Peanut butter, about 2-3 Tbs.
Soy sauce, about 2-3 Tbs.
1 inch ground ginger root
2 tbs (maybe less) sesame oil (this is a very strong flavor, so go easy)
pinch of cayenne pepper, optional, if you're going to use it, use it! I couldn't taste a pinch.
2-3 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 # pasta, I used fettuccine, but angle hair would be nice too
1 carrot, shredded
4 green onions, sliced
peanuts, finely chopped, for garnish (I didn't have these, but they're good)

Cook pasta al dente. Mix together peanut butter, soy, ginger, sesame oil, pepper and garlic in a bowl till smooth. It looks weird at first, just keep whisking together. Drain pasta well. Place in large bowl, pour in peanut butter mixture and stir together. Add in carrots and onions, mix well. In bowls, top with extra green onions and peanuts.

As you can see, I added the chicken and veggies to the noodles. Yum!

Don't you just love my pretty Korean China (that sounds weird, for some reason). This was a present from our company right before we left. I'm always looking for ways to use it.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Biscotti

2008-12-14T13:48:00.000-08:00

Yum, yum, yum. Have this with a mug of tea or hot coffee to dip in. Wow. I found a couple of pumpkin biscotti recipes, changed a few things and made it up for high altitude. I'm writing it out for regular altitude, but, as always, high-altitude changes are in orange.

What you need
5 cups flour + 1/3-1/2 cup flour
1 Tbs. baking powder a bit less than 1 Tbs. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
dash of cloves
1 1/4 sugar, plus 2 Tbs. sugar
1 cup butter, softened
15 oz. can pumpkin
2 Tbs. water + 2 Tbs. water
1 cup chocolate chips (any kind, I used the 60% cocoa)
1/2 cup nuts (I used pecans)
1/2 cup cream cheese frosting, or vanilla glaze (follows biscotti recipe)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (400 degrees). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (I just sprayed mine with cooking spray and they came out fine with no sticking).

Combine flour, powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in medium bowl. Mix well.

Beat sugar and butter in large bowl at medium speed till fluffy. Add the pumpkin and water; beat till blended. Add in the flour mixture a bit at a time. If you have a regular stand mixer, your mixture is going to reach the top. Stay right with your mixer and just keep scraping it down. Stir in chocolate chip and nuts. This is such stiff, stiff stuff! I actually broke my favorite mixing spoon (sniff, sniff) while stirring this up. So, be warned!

Shape dough into 2 logs, each about 14 inches long and 4-5 inches wide. Bake 40 minutes (it will be more like 1 hour, but check on them periodically after the 40 minute mark) or until firm to touch. Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes. Cut into 1 inch slices, and place back on baking sheet cut side up. Bake 10-20 minutes. (Again, this will take longer, just keep checking till they are at the stage of toastiness that you like. Did I just say toastiness?) Cool on wire racks.

If you use frosting from a can, microwave it for a bit to make it drizzalbe. I'm just full of made up words today! If you want to make your own, or don't have frosting in a can, the following recipe is great. It's from the Better Crocker cook book.

Vanilla Glaze
What you need
1/3 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2-4 Tbs. hot water

Melt butter in a sauce pan.

Stir in sugar and vanilla. It will be clumpy, just stir it in. Now, stir in hot water, 1 Tbs. at a time, until smooth and and consistency of thick syrup. Use a spoon and drizzle over the biscotti after they are cool.

This is how I like to enjoy my biscotti!

Mom's Nut Rocca (a.k.a. Toffee)

2008-12-14T13:21:00.000-08:00

If you live at sea level, or just not clear up on a mountain, this stuff is great. And relatively easy. If you do live up on a mountain, can you tell me how to get it to the right temperature?! I made it, it tastes good, but it has a different color and it's much chewier than my mom's. So I'm blaming it on the altitude. I pretty much blame everything on the altitude. My dry skin, my flat hair, headaches...but I digress!

Ok. You need a candy thermometer, but those are inexpensive at any market. However, my mom says that the metal ones are the best because they don't break. I couldn't find one at our store, but maybe if check a kitchen store, you might have some luck. Everything else, I'll bet you have in your pantry, so try it! It's fun to make candy and it's impressive. Have fun!

Here's the recipe, in my mom's own words (parenthetical commentary provided by yours truly).

What you need
2 cups butter (real butter)
2 cups sugar
2 Tbs. light corn syrup
1/3 cup water
1 pkg. milk chocolate chips (12 oz.)
1 cup finely chopped, toasted nuts (any kind will do, I'm partial to pecans. Must be my Southern heritage.)

1. Line a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan with heavy duty foil, extending over edges.

2. In a 4-5 quart sauce pan, melt butter. Stir in sugar, syrup and water. Cook over medium-high heat to boiling, stirring till sugar is dissolved. Avoid splashing up on the sides of your pan.

3. Clip you candy thermometer to the pan. Be sure bulb or bottom of thermometer is well covered and not touching bottom of pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently till thermometer registers 290 degrees, soft crack stage. This should take about 15 minutes. (Now, if you use a 4 qt. pan, like I did, your mixture is going to reach the tip top of the pan, and your heart is going to be in your throat imagining all that sticky corn syrup spilling out onto your stove. So just stir like crazy, gently though, and it will all be good. If you have a gas range, you may want to start out slower than med. heat.) The mixture will turn golden brown right at the last. (That's one way to know it's done. If it's still butter yellow, it's not done and will turn out the color of wax if taken off at this point. Trust me, I know.)

4. Remove thermometer. Pour into prepared pan; spread evenly. Cool 5 minutes, or until top is just set. Sprinkle on your chocolate chips and let set 2 minutes. Spread with a spatula till all toffee is coated with chololate. Top with nuts, press into chocolate. Cool several hours or till set. If necessary, place in fridge. (Mom sets it outside, covered and safe from the squirrels. My parents live in the woods. I don't know if a towel would keep it safe from a bear....hmmm.)

5. Holding foil, lift candy out of the pan. Break into pieces. To store, layer candy between sheets of waxed paper.

Makes about 2 1/2 pounds.

Doesn't that sound wonderful? Here's the way it came out for me. Remember, though, I'm at 8,000+ ft. in altitude and that just does funny things to baked goods.

Gingerbread House Icing

2008-12-09T13:22:00.000-08:00

I found this icing on a website, wrote it down, and now can't remember if is was Recipezaar.com or Allrecipes.com. Either one, this is the best icing hands down! It's super easy, way cheaper than buying cans and cans of icing, tastes great, and holds like glue when it's dry.

Make this! Make the houses! Have fun!

What you need

3 large egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar OR 1 tsp. baking powder
4 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Whip the egg whites and tartar or baking powder together in your mixer on medium high till mixed fairly well. Start adding your sugar a bit at a time. Once it's all in there, mix on high 4-5 minutes. It'll be really whipped looking and beautiful white.

Makes enough for 1 house and all the decorations on it. I made two batches for these guys.

Pretzel Nugget Truffles

2008-11-21T12:07:00.000-08:00

The holidays are upon us! Get out your mixers! Preheat those ovens! Let's bake! Actually, this recipe is a no-cook. You've got to love that!

I am so excited about these little goodies. They are not my creation, I found them in a Rachel Ray calendar (I love her. Have I told you that? Recently?), thought they were too wonderful not to share with anyone who does not subscribe, so I'm posting them here.

On to it!

What you need

1 bag soft caramels (14 oz.)
1 bag pretzel nuggets (10 oz.)
12 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped, OR any equivalent (I used the 60% cocoa bittersweet chips I had on hand)
2 cups nuts (your choice, I used pecans), toasted and finely chopped

First, toast your nuts in a pan or oven. Watch them, they burn easily. Need to know how to do this? Just toss the amount you want in a dry skillet, stirring or tossing every now and then until they give off a nice aroma (they will smell like pecan brittle. Mmm, my mom makes that every year). Take skillet off burner and allow the nuts to cool slightly before chopping them. Chop them finely or you'll have big chunks on your truffles. Or, don't chop finely if you like big chunks!

Unwrap the caramels and, using a rolling pin, roll each one out into a long oval shape. Unless you're completely buff and work out several times a week, I would suggest rolling 3-4 out, roll up your pretzel, then roll out 3-4 more caramels, etc. It takes a lot of arm strength, and I'm no muscle-lady. Not even close.

I thought these sort of looked like snails. If I didn't lose anyone with that analogy.....

These sort of reminded me of pig-in-a-blankets. Again, if you're still with me.........

After you've rolled out all your caramels and rolled up your pretzel nuggets, melt your chocolate. You can use a double broiler, or the microwave (which is what I used). If using the microwave, only cook at 30 second intervals and stir in between, even if doesn't look like it's cooked at all. It doesn't take very long, only about a total of 1 1/2 minutes.

Now, get your assembly area all ready. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set next to your bowl of nuts, bowl of chocolate and caramel wrapped pretzel nuggets. Toss a few nuggets into the bowl of chocolate, cover it completely in chocolate, and use a fork to lift it out. Tap off the excess chocolate. Toss this into the chopped nuts to coat. Place on the wax paper. Repeat with the rest of the nuggets. If you can, let these guys rest for 3 hours, but I can tell you from personal experience, they're ready before this!

Gorgeous!

Tracy's Chicken Pot Pie

2008-11-16T12:32:00.000-08:00

This one-pot-meal is from my sweet friend, Tracy. She first made this for us when we visited their house when we came home from Korea. It was so good, savory, hearty, and amazing, that I begged for the recipe and have since made it several times. I made it about a month ago with full intentions to post it here, but forgot to put in the vegetables till it had already been in the oven for a couple of minutes. I was able to peel the crust off, stir in the veggies, piece the crust back on and it came out ok; still delicious, but certainly not pretty! So, here is the recipe along with pictures. Perfect for a blustery, wintery day (like we are having here!).

This recipe is for a 9X13 dish, but is easily halved. In fact, I just made it last night for our family and another and made two 8X8 dishes.

What you need
Pie crust: if you make your own, make a double crust; if you buy the refrigerated kind, you'll need 3. Like Tracy says, if you do this, don't look at the calorie/fat information!
Cooked chicken. We both like to use an entire rotisserie chicken, but you could easily boil or roast your own. You'll need about 3 cups of cooked chicken if you make your own.
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp thyme
2 cans (15 oz each) mixed vegetables, or 2 cups frozen
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2-1 can cream of celery soup
1 can's worth of milk
salt and pepper
sage (I use a lot of sage b/c we love it, but use what you think your family will enjoy)
parsley (optional)

De-bone and chop your chicken. Sauté celery and thyme in olive oil. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Roll out pie crust and cover the bottom of your dish, up the sides. Pour chicken mixture into dish with crust.

Cover top with crust, seal the edges and cut slits in the top.

Bake at 425 degrees (475 degrees for high altitude, this is the only change in this recipe) for 30-40 minutes. You may want to check it at 20 minutes. The pie won't be done, but the edges might be getting too dark for your liking. If so, cover the edges with foil, leaving the top exposed.

I wish I had taken a picture of a scoop out on a plate, it's so pretty. Ah, well.

Man, Tracy! This is good!

Mom's Coffee Cake

2008-11-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

This is a moist streusel coffee cake, but with a twist. The sreusel is baked inbetween two layers of cake, then a simple, thin icing is poured over top. You can do this in a bundt pan or a 9X13 (I don't have a bundt pan). I made this with just a couple of changes for the altitude and it turned out great. As usually, the high-altitude adjustments are in orange. (A personal note on cakes and high altitude, I have only had success with Betty Crocker cake mixes.) Oh, and thanks to my mom for this recipe.

What you need
Streusel filling:
2 Tbs golden butter cake mix
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Cake:
the rest of the cake mix + 1/4 cup flour
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water + 1-2 Tbs water
1/4 cup sugar

Mix the streusel ingredients in a medium bowl, set aside. Mix the cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Grease and flour you pan (if you're going to keep it in the 9X13 pan, only grease). Pour 2/3 batter into the pan (if you're using 9X13 pan, pour 1/2 batter into pan), spread it out, it will be thick. Sprinkle streusel filling ontop, leave about 1/2 inch around the edge to prevent it sticking to the sides. Spoon the remaining batter into the pan and spread it around gently.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes for a 9X13 pan (if you're using the bundt, consult the back of the cake mix box for times and temps.) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely in pan before removing it.

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 Tbs milk

After cake is completely cooled and removed from pan (if that's what you're doing), stir sugar and milk together with a whisk, getting all lumps out. Pour over cake. (I, unfortunately, do not have a picture with the glaze. I completely forgot, like usual, the final shot!)

Serve with coffee, tea or a big glass of cold milk!

Thank you, Mom!

Sausage or Kielbasa with Red Cabbage

2008-11-14T09:16:00.001-08:00

This dish is from my friend, Michelle. She said that no one would believe that this dish was from her because she's a terrible cook. Ok, I don't believe that, and nor will you if you try this dish. It was delicious! If you like German flavors at all, think sauerkraut, bratwurst, etc, you will love this dish. It's a perfect blend of savory and sweet. It's also easy, relatively cheap and really pretty. I paired it with lima beans (we LOVE lima beans in this family), but mashed potatoes would really hit the spot, I just didn't have time. I do have to agree with Michelle's son, though, the house had an....interesting aroma the evening I made this.

What you need
1 package kielbasa or smoked sausage (you can use either cooked or uncooked. I got a link of sausage on sale that was uncooked, so just cook it first in your pan 15-20 minutes on med-low before starting with the directions below if you choose to use uncooked)
3-4 cups shredded red cabbage (anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 a head)
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup apple juice
1/4-1/2 cup apple cidar vinegar (use more or less, depending on how much you like the sweet/sour taste, the recipe actually calls for 1/3 c., so whatever floats your boat)

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add salt, sugar, juice and vinegar, making sure to mix well. Add cabbage, reduce heat to med-low, cover, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place sausage over cabbage (you can leave it whole or slice). Cover and cook 10-15 minutes, continue to stir occassionally. Uncover and cook another 15-20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Serve it straight out of the skillet!

Thanks, Michelle!

Red Lentil Soup with Flat Bread

2008-11-02T19:12:00.000-08:00

This is not a pretty meal, unless you have a pretty bowl to put it in. Which I don't. So, I put up the sort of out-of-focus picture to show some color so it would look pretty. But, what it IS, is good. And easy. Two of my favorite things. Oh, and cheap. Bonus!

What you need

2 c. lentil (I used red)
8 c. broth (beef or chicken) (broth from a box or use bouillon cubes)
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tsp lemon juice

Bring the lentils and broth to a boil, cover and simmer 30 minutes on low. Meanwhile, sauté the onion, garlic in the olive oil till golden. Add onion mixture to lentils when done.

After lentils have been going about 15 minutes, add the cumin, paprika salt and pepper.

When it's all done, add the lemon juice.

For the flat bread: you can use any pizza dough recipe you have, or just get the stuff in the freezer.
What you need

1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp honey
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. warm water
1 package yeast (= 2 1/4 tsp)

Throw it all in your bread maker or stand mixer. When done, form it into an oblong shape, brush with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper, garam masala or Herbs de Provence, or anything, really, that sounds good. Heat your grill pan, grill or broiler to high. If using the grill or pan, lay dough directly on grill and grill for a few minutes each side (make sure you oil and season both sides). If using your broiler, place on a pizza pan with vents or holes in it and watch it like a hawk because it can burn really quickly. Not that I would know anything about that. Ahem.

Cut up the bread, serve it up warm with the soup and add a green salad. Warm and comforting on a fall evening, especially now that it's getting dark around 4:30pm!

Apple-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

2008-10-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

People, get out and make these guys! I made them for Adam's teachers today and they were fighting over who could lick the pan. Ok, that's an exaggeration. A gross exaggeration. Ha ha ha. But seriously? Get out and make these guys. I'm not sure what you're supposed to "get out" of, but it sounded right when I wrote it.

Ok.

So, thank you Rachel Ray. You are my hero. That said......

High altitude adjustments are in orange.

What you need

2 tart apples, Granny Smith are good, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 1/4 cups plus 1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups flour /plus 1-2 Tbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbs baking powder /just a bit less than 1 Tbs
3/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream /plus 1-2 Tbs
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbs honey

Preheat oven to 400/450 degrees. Place apples, 1 Tbs brown sugar and 1 Tbs butter on baking sheet (you can put foil or parchment paper down so it doesn't stick, but I don't think this made much difference), mix it around, cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes /may take 20-25 minutes, just watch them, or until apples are tender. Remove from oven, and lower oven temp to 350/375 degrees.

In your mixer, blend flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and 1/4 tsp. salt at low speed. Add 5 Tbs. butter and mix until crumbly. In small bowl, whisk eggs with 1/2 cup cream, then mix into dry ingredients. (May need a bit more flour so it's not too sticky in your hands.)

On a lightly floured surface, roll or pat out your dough to form a 9 x 13 inch rectangle (this is very approximate). In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon. Smear onto your dough about 2 Tbs butter, just sort of dotted all over. Sprinkle the pecan mixture on top and cover evenly with the roasted apples. Roll up dough, jelly roll-style, and cut crosswise into 9 slices. Place slices cut side down into 9 x 9 inch pan that's been well greased. Bake till golden, about 35-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the remaining 4 Tbs butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup cream, 1/2 tsp salt and honey to boil, stirring. Whisk until reduced, about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly then poor it on the rolls.

So good. So, so good. Get out there and make these guys!.

Oh, and I'm embarrassed to say I don't even have a final shot of them, they got eaten so fast! You'll have to go make your own to see it to believe it.

These are super easy to double. Also, make everything the day or night before (except for that last sauce that you pour over the cooked buns), then bake it in the morning. Perfect, and easy.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

2008-10-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

Our friends, Vinh and Tracy, were here this weekend. Whenever our families get together, we eat a lot of food. We had an unfortunate experience with a restaurant this time around, but I think that between Vinh and myself, we were able to salvage the dining experiences. Vinh made Vietnamese Spring Rolls and let me help, so now I can do it myself! These are somewhat labor intensive at the beginning, but it's great served room temperature or even cold the next day (breakfast!), or next few days, so you really can prep ahead. The ingredients will keep for about 4 days, so make it all. This is traditionally an appetizer, but if you go to all the trouble of making it, just invite some friends over and make it a meal.

What you need
*Some of the items needed are somewhat specialty and may be found in an Asian super market. If you can't find something, substitute with what you think you might like. This isn't rocket science. And the food police won't come find you.

Pork loin, about 2 pounds
marinade for pork:
1 Tbs. white pepper
1 Tbs. ground ginger
1 Tbs. garlic powder
fish sauce and water, 1:1 ratio, about 1/4 cup each (roughly)
2 Tbs. sesame oil
--Mix above together. Place pork in bag with marinade and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
--Grill pork, slice in strips

2 pounds shrimp, boiled till pink, de-viened, de-shelled, and de-tailed

for wraps
large round rice paper (leave "raw" at the table)
rice noodles (boil till tender, just a couple of minutes, drained)
romaine lettuce
cilantro
red leaf Thai basil (only the leaves of the basils, the stems are like twigs)
green leaf Thai basil
bean sprouts
cucumbers, julliened or sliced (cut down vertically, then sliced to make half-moons)
Hoisin sauce, mixed with a bit of water to make it dip-able
peanuts, crushed, mixed with Hoisin sauce (above)
--each person should have his own bowl for dipping sauce

large bowl of hot water (not boiling), in the middle of the table
hot sauce, if you want it
Your table will look something like this:
Here's how you go about it:

take rice paper and swirl it in hot water, just enough to get it a little flimsy (just a little!)
lay it down on your plate
place shrimp at one edge
lay a piece of lettuce on top of shrimp
start laying on the rest in any order
begin rolling paper sort of tightly; when you've rolled all ingredients up once, tuck in the sides and continue rolling (think "burrito")
dip (or, if you're like me, slather) your wrap in hoisin sauce

and..................

YUM!!!
Now, go make some!

Red Cabbage Salad with Pine Nuts and Feta

2008-10-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

This is from my sister-in-law, Carrie (hi, Carrie!). I haven't made it in years, but was digging through my recipe box in the hopes of finding a new salad to make for our small group tonight. I happened upon this one again, and remembered all over again how delicious it is. And it's so pretty! Best to make what you need for one sitting, though; this one doesn't keep well.

What you need

Red cabbage, half a head, shredded/chopped (don't forget to get rid of the core) (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (heat in medium heat pan, shake often and don't take your eyes off them!)
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
dill, fresh or dried (I used dried, just shake some in)
1/4 cup olive oil
lemon juice, equal to 1/2 a lemon
garlic powder
salt and pepper

Mix cabbage, nuts and feta in bowl. Whisk oil, lemon juice, garlic, dill, salt and pepper together in separate bowl, then pour on top of cabbage mixture. Stir thoroughly. Serve within the hour.

Skillet Hash

2008-10-13T19:37:00.001-07:00

I really need to find a better name for this one, but for now, there it is: Skillet Hash. And it's not mushy or bland, like the name might imply. On the contrary: it's crispy and moist all at the same time, spicy if you want it, seasoned well no matter what. This guy has really come along way since the first day I made it. Back when I had to follow the recipe I clipped out of advertisement section of some magazine. The basics were established and we took off on it. Adam will eat and eat and eat this meal till there is none left, but on the off chance you do have some left, it also reheats well in a skillet.

The meal I usually make is as follows. If you want tonights meal, which is fairly different due to lack of ingredients and other evening mishaps, scroll down a bit.

What you need:

2-3 Tbs butter
2-4 potatoes, depending on the size (you can use any type here)
smoked sausage link (I must be on a sausage kick, blame the weather), sliced about 1/4 inch thick
frozen mixed veggies, if you have them, about 1 cup
salt and pepper
paprika
Parmesan cheese

Get your skillet hot on medium heat and melt the butter. Throw in the potatoes, give them a stir, salt and pepper, and put a lid on it. Stir every so often (about every 10 minutes or so), checking to make sure they're not burning, but you want them nice and brown.

After the potatoes have been in there for about 20 minutes, throw in the sausage, give a stir and sprinkle some more salt in there (this dish needs salt, just shake it on) and paprika. Add the veggies and stir. Leave the lid off and let cook for 10-15 minutes, until the sausage and veggies are getting nice and brown too. Taste and add more salt if needed.

When veggies are cooked through, shred on the Parmesan and dish up.

Now, tonight, as I hinted at earlier, did not go as planned. The chicken for my skillet chicken meal (not related to sausage hash) wasn't thawed as I had intended. A quick peek into the fridge showed me a sausage link. Thus, sausage hash was on it's way! I only had 2 red potatoes but a sack full of purple potatoes from my friend Penny's garden was in the pantry (I love purple potatoes!). Also, when I went to reach for the frozen veggies, there were none, only a sack of frozen corn. So! Here's what happened, and it turned out great, if I do say so myself, which I just did.

I did the potatoes, sausage and corn just like above (no paprika). I left out the cheese, added fresh tomatoes and sliced green onions. It was great!

Then I walked out to take a mediocre picture of the moon....

....I'm still learning my new camera, ok? When I got back to the table, I realized I forgot to take a picture of the final result. So here it is, with a lot less in the skillet than began. In the time it took to replace my lens cap, it was gone.

Senate Bean Soup

2008-10-09T16:46:00.001-07:00

I found this recipe years ago as a newly married wife, frantically searching for meals for me and Adam that I could prepare after a long day of college (we got married sort of young). Our newspaper carried a food page on Wednesdays, and I came upon this soup. It's easy, hearty and good. I almost always have the ingredients on hand, too. A nice bonus.

What you need

12 oz. smoked sausage, any kind you like, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup minced celery
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbs. olive oil (or a little more)
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock/broth
2 cups cubed, peeled sweet potatoes
2 cups cubed, peeled baking potatoes
15-oz can navy beans, drained and rinsed
15-oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 to 2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Sauté the sausage, onion, celery, and garlic in oil in large soup pot or Dutch oven until sausage is browned, 5-8 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients and heat to boiling. Reduce to simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes (that's what the recipe says, but I have to say I simmer for at least 30 minutes).

Serve with some sourdough bread or biscuits or any kind of cracker. Warm goodness.

Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips

2008-10-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

My friend Colleen used to make this last year in NYC. It will always remind me of our little NYC apartments, days at Dolphin park and Mary. It's just autumn in loaf-form for me. Owen and I made a batch yesterday, and then today I made another batch. It's just that good. If you live above 6,500 ft. you'll want to make the changes that are in orange. Being in high altitude does something funny to baking things.

What you need:

1 can pumpkin (not pie filling, actual pumpkin), 15 oz.
1/2 cup water / 1/2 cup water + 1-2 Tbs. (depending on your altitude. I used 2 Tbs and I'm at 8,000)
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 cup flour / 2 1/2 cup flour + 1 Tbs.
2 1/4 cup sugar (don't gasp)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda / just a smidge less than 1 1/2 tsp baking soda. I just let the clumps be scraped off when I measured it out of my cardboard container.
1 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp each: cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg
about a 1/2 -3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. / Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

First, mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Then, beat the pumpkin, eggs, oil and water in your mixer till combined (medium speed for about 2 minutes).
Gradually work in the dry ingredients, mixing just enough so you won't have a huge flour pouf all over you when you add more. Stir in your chocolate chips.

Grease and flour your bread pans. I used 3 smaller pans yesterday and 2 larger pans today. If you use 3 smaller pans, bake for around 50 minutes (1 hour) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (it will have chocolate chips on it). If you choose to do 2 larger pans, bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (same or about 5- 10 minutes more). Let them sit in the pans for 10 minutes before trying to take them out (trust me on this one, I learned the hard way).

I actually forgot to stir in the chocolate chips today when I made my 2 larger loafs, so I had to sprinkle them on top. Then I got a little crazy and just slathered the whole top of one with chocolate. I don't know how this will taste yet, but I'm hoping for the best.

This is what it should look like. Mmmm-mm. Yummy goodness.
I'm so proud of myself for remembering to take pictures! What do you think?

Sausage Corn Chowder

2008-09-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

I don't know where she found this recipe, but it's from my mom. This soup is a huge hit with my entire extended family. It's creamy, filled with the goodness of sausage and potatoes. Perfect for autumn, paired with a crisp salad, bread and a glass of milk.

What you need:

1 pound sausage
3 potatoes, cubed and boiled (~20 minutes separately)
1 (11oz.) can evaporated milk (OR, I used equivalent amount of 2%)
1 can kernel corn*
1 can cream corn*
Tabasco, just a dash or to your liking
salt, to taste

*I don't like the taste of canned corn, so I used about 2-3 cups frozen for both of these. You don't have quite as much liquid, so add some water or more milk to the soup after it's all mixed together.

In a large soup pot, brown the sausage (you can add some onion if you want, but we have onion issues here at my house, so I sometimes use onion powder). Add the cooked potatoes, milk, corn and Tabasco. Stir it all up and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer 30 minutes. Taste to add salt, sometimes sausage can be really salty, so I add it after about 15 minutes of cooking time.

Enjoy!

Check back here periodically, I'll be adding pictures as I make these things again. I never remember to take them while I'm making them!

Choloate chip pecan pie

2008-09-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

It is what it sounds like. Divine. Oh yeah. With the holidays coming up (I know, they're not immediately around the corner, but they'll be here before we know it), this is a perfect pie. Top it with whipped cream or ice cream. This comes from my Texas friend, Melissa. Thanks, Melissa!! Oh, the good times we all had together just eating!

What you need:

Pie crust dough (you can make your own or do what I do, and get the kind in the refrigerated case, just don't tell my mom!)--you need only 1
3 eggs
1 cup light-colored corn syrup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter--melted and cooled
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (I've used mixed nuts, too, both very good)
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tbs. butter or shortening

Place the pie dough in a 10-inch pie pan. Don't prick it, but press it into sides.

In a mixer, beat eggs, then add in corn syrup. Add brown sugar, butter and vanilla until sugar is dissolved. Stir in nuts and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Carefully pour filling into pan with crust. Cut dough to fit pan, and you can do any sort of fancy design on the edge (my fancy was fork-tine design. Ooo!) Place pan on foil or another baking sheet because it tends to leak over.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes (at my altitude, 8,000+, this actually took almost 1 hour, so keep that in mind, based on your alitude). The top should be sort of solid/crispy. My test is, I jerk the oven rack a bit, and it there's no jiggling in the pan, then it'sgood.

Meanwhile......take that 1/3 chocolate chips and the tablespoon butter and melt together in a saucepan or in the microwave (just for about 30 seconds). Stir together. When pie has cooled just a bit, use a spoon and make zigzag lines all over that pie. So pretty!

Pan con tamoca

2008-09-11T16:39:00.000-07:00

Fancy name, eh? This wonderful appetizer (from Spain) is from my new friend Lenée. I didn't even believe her when she first told me how to make this, it seemed way too simple. But it's true! Four ingredients is all that's needed.

What you need

fresh tomato
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt
*amounts all to taste

Grate the tomato into a bowl so that the skins are left behind. Stir in about a tablespoon each of olive oil and vinegar to one tomato, then salt to taste.

Serve on a slice of toasted baguette topped with a thin slice of Manchego cheese.

Another way to use left-over sauce: Great as a sauce for pizza. Use this recipe from Cook's Country (again, so easy and good):

What you need:
Dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup beer (use Newcastle Brown Ale, or O'Doul's Amber)
olive oil

In a mixer or food processor, mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together. Slowly add beer and 1 Tbs. oil till ball forms. Form this into a tight ball, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes. Divide into two balls, roll one at a time out onto floured surface to about 9 inches. Heat large non-stick skillet with 3 Tbs olive oil. Cook dough in skillet, poking holes in any bubbles that form (gentle, here!), after about 4-5 minutes, flip, add sauce with any other toppings (see below for suggestions), cover with lid for about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate or cutting board, or you can keep it warm in the oven while you do the same with your other dough round.

Suggestion for pizza topping:
Pan con tamoca (for sauce)
mixture of shredded Parmesan, Manchego and basil
chopped tomatoes (tossed with salt and let drain on paper towels while all the other stuff is going on)

Ok, as I was typing this all out, I realize it seems like more trouble than it's worth, but it's not. I swear. You will thank yourself. Your family will thank yourself. And, you will have a cheapo version of pizza for Friday night without pulling out all the coupons and getting sub-standard pizza. I know, I hate that, too.

Stuffed hamburgers with feta and African peppers

2008-08-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

Labor day is upon us. Gas up your grills!

I got these ideas from watching a food challenge last year on TV. This gal put filling in her burgers that transformed them from plain ol' dry beef patties to moist, interesting and not-as-messy-easy-to-eat-gourmet-looking-not-only-for-the-campout-burgers! I'll share what I used for filling, but I think you could use almost anything!

What you need

1/4 pound beef per burger (which in our family is per person, but I know some of you out there like to indulge a little and eat two!)--I use the cheapest I can get, I think it makes the best burgers.

feta cheese

little peppers in the deli/olive bar section from Africa, plus some of the oil from the peppers. (I don't know the name, and I realize that this is ambiguous, so forgive me and I'll look up the name the next time I'm at Safeway!)

wax paper cut into squares large enough for your patties (this just makes things easier for transferring to the grill and clean-up)

Mayo, just a bit, maybe 1 Tbs, but to taste

Buns, your choice

yogurt sauce (also known as tzanziki sauce, it's Greek so you might find it at an international market or you can make your own, it's not hard)

tomatoes, sliced

*for the amounts of cheese and peppers, I make enough so that I have a heaping Tbs full for each burger.

For the filling: Chop peppers up coarsely. Crumble your feta fine. Mix the two together and add some of the oil. Mix well. Add just enough mayo to make it all stick together. You don't want a lot, it could override the flavors of your cheese and peppers.

For the patties: Take about 1/8 pound meat in your hand (this looks like about a 1/4 cup) and form a ball. Press ball into wax paper to form a patty about 6-7 inches in diameter. They're going to be really thin, don't worry. Set aside and form the rest of the patties, stacking on wax paper.

For the burgers: Now, take one patty, place about 1-2 Tbs. filling in the middle and spread around with a spoon to about a 1/4 inch from the edge. Place another patty on top and press the sides together.

Grill about 3 mintues per side. Serve with accouterments and enjoy the last of your summer!

Variations:
Instead of those cute little African red peppers, you could use roasted red peppers or sun-dried tomatoes. You could even chop up some marinated artichoke hearts. Let me know what you try!

Chicken Chili

2008-08-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok, I know. I know. It's not chili weather. But, it's really more of a "tortilla soup," if you will, and it's good, ok? And it takes less than 30 minutes, or it can simmer for an hour and be even better. So, try it!

What you need

1 pound ground chicken
2 cans diced tomatoes (or 1 can diced, 1 can crushed), undrained
2 cans beans (any type, but I like 1 black bean, 1 white bean of some sort), drained and rinsed
1 package frozen corn
1-2 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper
1-2 Tbs chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp each garlic and onion powder
*seasons are approximate, add what you like

cilantro, cheese, tortilla chips and avocado for garnish

In large soup pot, brown the chicken in olive oil. Add the tomatoes (rinse the tomato cans with water and add this to the pot), beans and corn, seasonings, bring to boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Serve with the garnishes (is that a word?) at the table and you've got a meal.

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Linguine with Avocados

2008-07-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

I love cilantro. And lime. So when I saw fresh cilantro-lime linguine at our farmers' market, I had to have some. Until I saw the price. Eight bucks a pound?! Am I crazy? (The answer is "no!") Not to be deterred, I booked it to Safeway, got my star ingredients and made up this dish. My family ate it up, plus, as always, super easy! A great summer meal all in itself, but you could easily pair it with a salad and a glass of wine or a cold beer. The amount can be doubled, but it was plenty for our family of 2 adults and 3 small children.

What you need

Linguine

1/2# linguine (I like whole wheat)
about 2 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper
1 lime, cut in half
handful cilantro

Chicken
chicken tenderloins
smoked paprika
olive oil
salt and pepper

Marinate your chicken in the oil and seasons for about 4 hours (or longer).

Time to cook!

Cook pasta to al dente (7 minutes).

Heat large skillet to med-high heat. Stream in 2 Tbs olive oil, let it get hot. Cook chicken 3 minutes per side. Take out and set aside. Keep pan on heat.

Drain pasta well. Place pasta into skillet with the olive oil (from the chicken, don't add more) and toss the pasta for 1-2 minutes. Turn off skillet. Squeeze in half a lime and toss pasta with salt pepper and cilantro.

Place chicken on top of pasta, arrange avocado slices and lime wedges around pan.

Marinate chicken in olive

Cashew Chicken and Edamame Risotto Wraps

2008-04-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

No clue, really, how to pronounce edamame, I just know I love it! Buy it frozen in the pods, thaw by running under cold water for a few minutes, and you've got a great snack or veggie for dinner.

This meal was found in my Real Simple magazine, but I changed a few things, added a few things, and put it together as one meal (it came as two separate meals), so I'm officially calling it mine! It was really easy and quick, too, which is always a bonus in my world. It actually looks a little complicated, it's not. Don't be fooled. Adam and I weren't the only happy eaters. All of my kids liked this, even Emma, Miss Picky, and Owen and Addison couldn't seem to get enough. Have your kids shelling the edamame while you're in the kitchen. It's best to prep things before getting started (cut the chicken, measure out ingredients, chop the scallions, etc.), it makes the whole thing go fast.

What you need

Risotto:
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 an onion, red or yellow, chopped fine
2 cups Arborio rice (risotto)
1 cup dry white wine
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups shelled edamame (thawed)
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 cup grated Parmesan (As always, get a big block of fresh and grate it yourself. It lasts forever and tastes way better than the stuff in the green can!)
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in large saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute till slightly opaque (2-3 min.). Add rice and cook 2 minutes, stir constantly. Add wine and cook till absorbed, stir frequently. Stir in broth, 3/4 cup at a time and wait each time till broth is absorbed before adding more, till all broth has been used. Stir every now and then. This will take from 15-25 minutes (depending on if you half this recipe). Take off heat and stir in edamame, lemon zest, Parmesan, salt and pepper (to taste, cheese adds saltiness so go easy).

Chicken:
Equal parts soy sauce and honey (about 1/4 cup each)
2 Tbs olive oil
4 chicken breasts, chopped small into true bite sized pieces
salt and pepper
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 Tbs grated ginger
scallions, chopped
water chestnuts
1/4 to 1/2 cup roasted, unsalted cashews
Boston or Bibb lettuce leaves, washed and dried

Combine soy and honey, set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sauté in oil for about 3 minutes. Add ginger, garlic and scallions and cook for a minute. Add water chestnuts and half soy mixture to pan. Cook for about 4 more minutes till chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat and add cashews.

To serve:
Take a lettuce leaf in the palm of your hand, pop in some risotto, some chicken, add a splash of the soy/honey mixture, wrap up and shove in your mouth. Messy? Yes. Delicious? Yes!

Basil, Mozzarella, Tomato Sandwich

2008-04-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

Our corner deli/grocery store has about 1,000 choices for sandwiches. They make one of the best hamburgers around. But another of our favorites is with fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, and fresh tomatoes. You get it: fresh! I decided that $5.75 was way too much to pay for this bad boy, so I did it here at home. It's simple. The only trick is this: fresh everything!!

What you need
fresh basil leaves
fresh mozzarella, sliced
fresh tomatoes, sliced
good bread, sliced about 3/4" to 1"
olive oil
oregano (dried is actually ok for this one, it's just as good dried as it is fresh)
salt and pepper

Set you pan on med-high heat. Brush bread slices with olive oil. Toast in pan. Take out of pan and put on cutting board toasted side up. Pile on ingredients, sprinkling on spices at end. Top with another slice of toasted bread, toasted side down now, facing inside of sandwich. Now, you have an option. Do you wan to toast the rest? Go ahead. If you'd rather have it a little bit chewy (so good!), leave it as it is and serve! Great with pita chips.

Grilled Shrimp--2 ways

2008-04-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

Update on comments

2007-12-01T07:18:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my friend, Kim, I learned that somehow the comment form was only for Google users. Sorry, all you non-googlers!! Anyone can now leave comments, so do it for heaven's sake!!

Now, read on for Red Lentil Soup!

Red Lentil Soup

2007-12-01T06:39:00.000-08:00

Lentils. So healthy, so pretty, so....blah. At least, that's what I thought. Maybe you are the same way. My husband has always loved lentil soup, so I have tried several different types, but always had the same experience: yuck.

This recipe has changed my thinking. A great mix of Middle Eastern and Indian flavors. Pair it with a simple salad and some naan to dip in and you've got a great, hearty, winter meal.

What you need
2 cups red lentils
8 cups broth (beef is best)
1 tsp cumin (if you like real strong flavors, use more of cumin and paprika, about 2-3 tsp each)
1 tsp paprika
1 lg onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tsp lemon or lime juice (fresh squeezed is best)

Bring lentils and broth to a boil, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. After about 10 minutes, add cumin and paprika. Meanwhile, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil till nice and brown, add these to the lentils when sautéing is done. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking lentils for the 30 minutes. You may want to add about 1/2 to 1 cup of water after about 25 minutes. If you do, be sure and adjust your seasonings. You also may want to add about 10 minutes of cooking. When done, add the lemon or lime juice. Enjoy!

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

2007-11-26T06:32:00.000-08:00

Or chicken if you don't have turkey.

I had all my Thanksgiving leftovers sitting in the fridge, and while I love it all the first time around, warmed up mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts just aren't what I call a good meal. But I love pot pie.

Whoa! I thought. What better way to use it all up then to throw it all into a dish, top it with biscuit mix and throw in the oven! As it baked, I began having second thoughts. When it came to the table, I was even more anxious. My husband took the first bite and said, "Man! Have you tried this? It's delicious!" And he was right. So, for you who are sick of microwave warmed up turkey, I give you my pot pie.

What you need:

Any or all leftovers from Thanksgiving (or Christmas, for that matter), but leave out the pumpkin pie, if you have any of that left-over, that is
mine, for example was as follows:

turkey
mashed potatoes
Brussels sprouts and carrots
cooked corn
gravy

1 cup Biscuit mix (Jiffy or Bisquick)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

In a large dish with high sides, pack all those yummy mashed potatoes down to form a bottom. This will be your "crust". Mix together all your vegetables, turkey and gravy in a large mixing bowl. Pour this all over your potatoes. (If you need more gravy, do this: In large sauce pan melt about 1/2 cup butter, whisk in 1/2 cup flour and cook till creamy. Whisk in 3 cups chicken broth and cook till thickened.) In another mixing bowl, beat together the biscuit mix, egg and milk, pour over the turkey mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. Enjoy! This paired really well with the spinach salad I forgot to serve on Thanksgiving day.

Stuffing, Crock pot style

2007-11-20T11:30:00.000-08:00

This is curtesy of my mama-in-law and I just put it in the way she told me. It's great, trust me! And I love that it doesn't take up room on my stove, counter top or in the oven!

Day old bread, You want it to be kind of hard so it breaks up easily and isn't too mushy when you put the other stuff in. Probably for just your family a loaf or loaf and a half would work, any kind of white type bread is okay.

Then I saute onions and celery in butter until they are tender. Again, you kind of have to judge how much depending on the amount you are making, but probably 1-2 onions if small and about 7-8 clery stalks, I also use the leafy part of the celery.

I then combine the bread, onion mixture, eggs (probably 2), just a little milk, just to moisten the bread, in fact, you can do that right after you tear up the bread into pieces. Then add ground sage and I go by taste on that one. I try not to overdo that since it is such a strong flavor. You can then add a little chicken broth if you want, to keep it moist. If I'm cooking it in my crockpot, I start out on high for an hour and then turn it down to low for another 2-3 hours, you can tell when it starts to get a bit of a crust on top that it is done. I sometimes put a little more butter on top as it is cooking, not a lowfat dish for sure. You can also just bake it in the oven on 325-350 for an hour and a half or so, you can tell if it is done when it looks pretty firm and again there should be a bit of a crust on top.

I also put a little pam or spread butter on the crockpot sides and bottom of baking dish so it doesn't stick so much.

Brussels Sprouts with Carrots, Bacon and Garlic

2007-11-20T11:19:00.001-08:00

A classic Thanksgiving and Christmas dish for our family is brussels sprouts. I used to completely turn up my nose at this cute little vegetable, but somewhere in my adulthood I fell in love with it's tiny little cabbage leaves, it's bright green color, how it turns from a slightly bitter ball to a melt-in-your-mouth crunch when done the following way. I dare you to try it and not agree. (Courtney, that's for you!) Also, the ingrediants don't have any measurements, just use what you need and/or like.

What you need:

Brussels Sprouts (outside leaves taken off, cut in half, bottom trimmed)
Carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces, then cut in half lengthwise
Bacon, chopped
Garlic
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil

If roasting in oven:
Combine all ingredients in large dish and toss well. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 to 45 minutes, stirring every so often.

If sautéing on stovetop: (Note: this way is done without the carrots)
Heat olive oil over medium heat in large sauté pan. Cook bacon pieces till tender. Add the rest of the ingredients except the carrots. Stir around till done, about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your sprouts.

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

2007-10-26T06:40:00.000-07:00

Can you tell, I love my crock pot? I love that the kids and I can run out after nap time to the park and come home to a delicious meal. This one is very easy, with all the prep work done in the morning. Just don't forget to soak those beans overnight, otherwise, well, you know what the outcome will be.... The given amounts are just suggestions, use more or less given your taste.

What you need

2 cans chicken broth (14 1/2 oz each)
2 cans beef broth (14 1/2 oz each)
1 pound black beans, soaked overnight
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup red onion
1 cup chopped celery
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. cumin
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme

Put all those ingredients in the crock pot and turn it on: low for 10-11 hours, or high for 5-6 hours.

When it's done, pull out the bay leaf and discard. Puree 4 cups of solids in a blender or food processor, then pour back into the soup.

Add: 2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp. salt

Additional, optional toppings, to stir in:

dried chorizo sausage
chopped tomato
avocado
cheese
sour cream
cilantro leaves, chopped

Great to freeze if you have any left over!

Frittata!

2007-10-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

A fancy name for the hum drum Omelet. Here are two of my favorites. The first is an old standby, the second is a newer one, adapted from Emeril Lagasse. All the fresh veggies freak my 6-year old out a little, but the rest of us loved it.

Ham, Potato and Cheddar Frittata

What you need:
3 Tbs. butter
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (or you can use ~2 cups frozen hash browns)
1 small onion, chopped
8 lg. eggs, whisked
1/4 cup milk
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (kick it up a bit with more pepper)
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 lb cubed ham (I sometimes leave this out if I don't have it)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat skillet to medium heat and melt butter. Sauté onions and potatoes 8-10 minutes (raw potatoes take longer), stirring frequently. Add pepper for 2 more minutes. Whisk eggs and milk together, pour over potatoes. Salt and pepper well (eggs are not good unseasoned!). Add ham and cheese. Cover with lid and cook over low or medium-low till knife inserted comes out clean. Put uncovered skillet in oven at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes (wrap your plastic handle with foil) to brown.

Emeril's Vegetable Frittata

What you need:

8 large eggs
3 tablespoons heavy cream (or milk)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small or 1/2 medium zucchini, about 5 ounces
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1/4 cup minced green onions (green tops only)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped green onions, for garnish

Whisk together eggs and milk with half the salt and pepper, set aside.

In a medium skillet, sauté the veggies in butter in this order: 1st the zucchini and mushrooms (till tender), 2nd the peppers and onion tops (till tender), 3rd the garlic and herbs for just a short time (under a minute) until the garlic is fragrant. Don't forget to use the rest of your salt and pepper on the veggies. Stir in over half your cheese.

Pour on the eggs, and cook, use a spatula occasionally to let the egg run under itself, about 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle on the rest of your cheese, take off the heat, and place in oven at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes, or in your broiler for about 2 minutes. If you do this, watch your pan! The eggs burn really quickly in the broiler.

Garnish with some fresh parsley and you've got yourself a complete meal!

Slow Cooker Chipotle-Lime Chicken Thighs Jamaican Rice and Beans

2007-10-11T15:56:00.000-07:00

I love my crock pot, but I often get tired of the usual crock pot recipes because they all tend to be so similar: chicken with potatoes and carrots; beef with potatoes and carrots, pork with potatoes and carrots. You get the picture. If you also feel this way, you will LOVE this new recipe! It is a great dish, easy, easy, easy and so pretty on the plate. It's so great looking and tasting I would easily feel comfortable serving this to guests. As a bonus, my kids even liked this. I have to give credit where credit is due, so a big thank you to Robin Miller from foodnetwork.com! for this great recipe! I halved this recipe, but I would really recommend doing the whole thing. It would warm up great, and chicken thighs are so small that we could have had more. Note: there are two recipes here, one for chicken and one for rice, which is not in the slow cooker, but is really easy and quick. *I added some notes at the bottom from when I cooked this dish.*

What you need:

For the chicken

1 cup sliced onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
4 lbs skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1 Tbs minced chipotle chilies in adobo sauce with 1 tsp of the sauce from the can
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 avocado, diced
cilantro, chopped and stems for garnish
Lime wedges for garnish

Put the onion, celery, and carrots on the bottom of your crock pot. Season the thighs with salt and pepper and place on top of veggies.

In a medium bowl, combine tomato sauce, lime juice, chipotle chilies with sauce, and garlic. Pour over chicken.

Cover crock pot, cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4. Serve topped with avocados and cilantro.

Jamaican Rice with Beans:

2 cups instant white rice
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1 cup water
1 (15 oz) can red beans, drained
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
1/4 cup chopped scallions
salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine rice, coconut milk, water, beans, thyme and lime zest. Set pan over high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce to low, cover and simmer 5 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Fold in scallions and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ok, my notes:

I did all it said for the chicken. But with the time range, I think done on low for 6 hours would be the best and make the thighs really tender and flavorful. If I wasn't feeding a baby, I could have used more chipotle chilies. It would have kicked it up a nice bit.

Some of the ingredients are a bit pricey (ie coconut milk, chipotle chilies), so I poured the rest of the chilies and their sauce into a freezer bag. They're all ready to go for next time. Oh, and there will be a next time. The coconut milk? I tell myself it's ok to splurge a little sometimes.

For the rice, I used jasmine rice instead of instant. I think it has better flavor. But, if you do this, you need to increase your cooking time up to about 15-20 minutes (follow your package directions). Be sure and season it very well. Salt and pepper just seem to be absorbed back into this dish with not a lot of flavor remaining, so season well. Last thing, I love cilantro in almost anything, so I added cilantro to my rice on my own plate (my hubby and kids aren't as nutzo about cilantro as I am). Oh yeah, dish all that yummy sauce left over in your crock pot into a bowl and serve it on the table. It's awesome poured over the rice.

Baked Tomatoes with Asparagus

2007-10-04T05:39:00.000-07:00

I got this fresh dish from my friend here in NYC, Sarah. It is so easy and simple that you will feel guilty (well, maybe only a little bit) because it just looks so complicated and tastes amazing! This recipe is for 8 servings, but you could make it as large or small as you wish very easily. I, personally, could eat 2 servings with no problem! A great side to accompany a steak, chicken or pair it with a pasta dish.

What you need:

4 large tomatoes
24 spears asparagus, lightly steamed--snap spears off at their woody base
1 cup mayo
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 dashes Tabasco
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
3 Tbs grated onion (I used a few shakes of onion powder)

1. Cut tomatoes in half, core out. Place in buttered baking dish, cut side up. You may also want to slice off a small part of the bottom of the tomato to make it stable.

2. Top each tomato with 3 spears.

3. Combine mayo, cheese, Tabasco, mustard and onion in bowl. Spoon onto top of each tomato.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and tomato is heated through.

Coal Miner's Pasta a.k.a. Rigatoni alla Carbonara (that's the fancy name)

2007-09-30T05:27:00.001-07:00

A funny name for a really great pasta dish. Super easy, too! This is a dish that is simple, pretty and even a kid-pleaser (all 3 of the kids like this, even my 11 month old absolutely loved it). Pair it with bread and a salad, add a glass of wine, and you've got a great home-date meal. I've often got all the ingredients on hand, as well, so it's a good meal to easily throw together.

*Read through the whole recipe, #2 and #3 might need to be switched in the order you do things, depending on how fast you are.

What you need:

Salt
1 lb rigatoni (I usually use vermicelli or angle hair pasta--might be the same thing, I'm not sure!)
1/3 lb pancetta, prosciutto or bacon, chopped (I almost always use bacon)
Drizzle of olive oil, plus 2 Tbs
4 or 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (crush these in the palm of your hand before tossing into pan)
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
2 large egg yolks
3 Tbs grated Parmigiana Reggiano, plus more for sprinkling at table
Handful fresh Italian parsley leaves, finely chopped (be sure and use fresh, not dried)
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Get large pot of water boiling, cook pasta and salt till al dente, about 8 minutes, reserve about 1/4 cup pasta water (you can do this while the pasta's cooking, it's best of it's still boiling).

2. While pasta's cooking, heat large skillet over medium heat. Sauté bacon in drizzle of olive oil until brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add olive oil, garlic, and crushed pepper flakes. Saute garlic 2 minutes. Add wine to pan and reduce liquid by half, 2 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and cheese together, then whisk in that boiling 1/4 cup of pasta water (this gets the egg cooking). Beat in the parsley and pepper and set aside.

4. Drain pasta and add to pan with bacon sauce. Toss pasta well, then add egg mixture and toss 1 minute more then remove from heat. Continue to toss until sauce is absorbed by and thickly coats the pasta. Adjust seasonings, may need to add some salt. Serve with extra cheese.

Mom's Granola

2007-09-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Granola is my favorite cereal. It's even good mixed into vanilla yogurt with our without fruit. But to buy it at the store is just too gosh darned expensive! The ingredients used in this granola that my mom created are inexpensive at the outset, and the fact that you can make several batches before having to buy more of each is a plus. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 10 cups.

What you need:

4 cups quick cook oats
2 cups raw wheat germ
1 cup hulled, raw sunflower seeds
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup flaked, sweet coconut
1/2 cup flax seed
1/2 cup veg. oil
1/3 cup water
1 Tbs. vanilla

Stir together dry ingredients in large bowl. In small bowl, mix vanilla and water together, then pour into the dry mix along with the oil. Stir this really well. Spread onto a really large cookie sheet and bake at 275 degrees F for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so. Let it cool and dump into your container.

Chicken and Vegetable Soup

2007-09-25T05:49:00.000-07:00

Everybody has a favorite chicken soup. I actually have a couple. My very favorite is from my friend Melissa, which I will hopefully post soon, but this one is also delicious and super easy (Melissa's is equally delicious, but takes longer to make). This soup is great on a fall or winter day. It actually gets better if served the day or two after you make it. Somehow it all mellows and gets tastier. Serve with tortilla chips, avocado or guacamole, chopped fresh cilantro and shredded cheese.

What you need:

4 cups water
1 whole chicken, either quartered or cut into pieces, skin on
1 onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
14 oz package frozen corn
16 oz package lima beans
14 1/2 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 Tbs sugar
3 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 to 1 tsp Tabasco
several shakes of oregano and basil
salt and pepper

Bring water, chicken, onion, celery, salt and pepper to boil. Simmer until chicken is tender, about 45 minutes or so. Remove chicken, de-fat and de-bone. Cube or shred chicken and put back into broth. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and cook about 30 more minutes. Enjoy!

If your in a time crunch and only have 1 hour, do this: use 4 chicken breasts and chicken broth instead of the water. Boil, then simmer for 30 minutes, then follow the rest of the directions. I've done this and it's good, but there's just something about using the whole chicken with all the bones and fat that really adds lots of yummy goodness.

Blue Cheese Butter Pork Chops

2007-09-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

A super easy recipe for thick cut pork chops. As a bonus, they look really fancy, too! Done on the grill, or very nicely in the broiler pan (that's how I did mine, given the fact that I don't have a grill). The blue cheese butter is a very smooth complement, not too rich, but tasty. Serve with grilled Parmesan asparagus, and potatoes or something simple like a baked potato and green salad.

What you need:

for the pork
4 bone-in chops, each about 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick
2 garlic cloves
salt
freshly ground pepper

for the butter
4 Tbs butter, room temp.
1 oz. blue cheese, crumbled, room temp.
1 Tbs. toasted walnuts, chopped
1 Tbs thinly slivered fresh basil (or, 1 tsp. dried basil, crushed in the palm of your hand)
salt
freshly ground pepper

1. Rub chops with garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat grill to high OR preheat oven to broil
3. Brush grill or broiler pan with oil, cook chops about 6-8 minutes a side. Chops will be nicely browned on bottom when ready to turn. Internal temp. when done will be about 160 degrees.
4. Let chops rest about 2 minutes after cooked. Place a pat of butter on each and serve.
5. Butter: Mash butter and cheese together, stir in walnuts and basil and season with salt and pepper.